Profesh While Pregnant: Conference Recap
A week post-conference, Les reflects on the three outfits she wore to two major national academic conferences in her respective fields. Les has been struggling to find profesh appropriate–and affordable–academic wear that fits her pregnant body. Les is 5’2”, curvy by birth, and is disinclined to wear dresses, heels, and skirts. Today, Les explains the cost of dressing her version of conference profesh with a body that won’t give in any way.
On the first day of conferencing, Les chose her most “profesh” conference outfit: those expensive Jessica Simpson pregnancy jeans that cost around $80, a bright yellow designer jacket that *surprise* still buttoned around her waist, a blue and white striped top that costs around $60, and her Roxy flip flops that allow her to walk with feet that were already swelling in Tampa’s heat. In an effort to better “professionalize” the fact that she is wearing flip-flops, Les had her toenails painted–an act she rarely does in her everyday life.
For the first day of the 4Cs, Les chose to blend in more with the crowd by wearing dark, neutral colors. These jeans are a few bucks cheaper than the other pair at a whole $60. She paired them with a blue knit sweater that was also $60 and a black top that draped across her bust and belly in a way that almost completely masked the size of both. This top, she found on sale for only $35 at the only maternity clothing store in her city. She also wore those flip flops again because ohwell!
Day Three: 4Cs friends day
Today was the most special day for Les because she was accompanying her previous academic family to panels, lunch, and the LiCS journal party. For those reasons, she chose her most whimsy, playful outfit: a gray and white polka dot cardigan that buttons over the bust; a light, cotton blouse with eyelet lace, and a pair of black maternity leggings. This outfit, in total, cost $180. Les planned carefully, though, knowing she’d wear every item post pregnancy. With that as reasoning, Les validated spending this much money on clothes. She normally would never spend that kind of money had she not been left no choice but to shop at such an expensive store.